Travel
All around us
Xelena Gonzalez
eBOOK
Read Woke, Picture Books, Travel
Finding circles everywhere, a grandfather and his granddaughter meditate on the cycles of life and nature.
Clean getaway
Nic Stone
eBOOK
Black Lives Matter, Read Woke, Adventure, Black History, Travel
"For the life of him, William "Scoob" Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say FREEDOM. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included."--Jacket flap.
A clandestine road trip, The Green Book, and a rad G'Ma--Nic Stone's first middle grade novel is perfection! -Casey
The Seine : the river that made Paris
Elaine Sciolino
944.36 /Sciolino
Nonfiction, Travel, History
"In the spring of 1978, as a young journalist in Paris, Elaine Sciolino was seduced by a river. In The Seine, she tells the story of that river through its rich history and lively characters-a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat- dweller, a famous cinematographer known for capturing the river's light. She patrols with river police, rows with a restorer of antique boats, discovers a champagne vineyard, and even dares to swim in the Seine. Sciolino's keen eye and vivid prose bring the river to life as she discovers its origins on a remote plateau in Burgundy, where a pagan goddess healed pilgrims at an ancient temple. She follows the Seine to Le Havre, where it meets the sea. Braiding memoir, travelogue, and history through the Seine's winding route, Sciolino offers a love letter to Paris and the river at its heart and invites readers to explore its magic."--
Elaine Sciolino also wrote the wonderful book "The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs" and I feel like she has perfected the blend of awe and love for place, history, anecdote, and commentary. She brings the Seine to life here, it is a character in the past, present, and future of Paris. Full of interesting tales about, and lovely descriptions of, everything and anything related to the great river--architecture, city-scapes, food, people, art, history...it's all here. -Candice
Love, Z
Jessie Sima
jE Sima
Picture Books, Fantasy, Travel, Adventure, Philosophy, LGBTQ+
A little robot named Z finds a message in a bottle signed, "Love, Beatrice" and, unable to learn what love is from other robots, sets out on a quest to find the answer.
Z sets out on a quest to find out what "love" is. On the journey Z might just find a place in your heart. -Casey
Alone time : four seasons, four cities, and the pleasures of solitude
Stephanie Rosenbloom
910.4 /Rosenbloom
Nonfiction, Travel
"A wise, passionate account of the pleasures of travelling solo. In our increasingly frantic daily lives, many people are genuinely fearful of the prospect of solitude, but time alone can be both rich and restorative, especially when travelling. Through on-the-ground reporting and recounting the experiences of artists, writers, and innovators who cherished solitude, Stephanie Rosenbloom considers how being alone as a traveller--and even in one's own city--is conducive to becoming acutely aware of the sensual details of the world--patterns, textures, colors, tastes, sounds--in ways that are difficult to do in the company of others."--
Stephanie Rosenbloom writes a travel column for the New York Times, and has a breezy, friendly voice. Don't let that fool you, though--she's a thinker. Here she recounts her travels through four different cities, reflecting upon what makes solo travel unique: How does one travel differently when they are alone? How do they experience things? What are the unforeseen benefits? How does travelling alone change somebody? In addition to her own experiences, she references a lot of very current research that relates to the topic. A very interesting and enjoyable book, whether or not you are hitting the road. -Candice
The art of the wasted day
Patricia Hampl
818.5409 /Hampl
Nonfiction, Literary Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel
In an effort to discover the value of daydreaming and leisure, the author sets out on a journey that will take her to the homes of people who famously wasted time daydreaming, but were better for it, including Gregor Mendel.
Hampl extols the happiness and contentment that can come from simply being, the up-side of letting things go, taking a look around, going within. She travels far and wide to find others who hit upon this idea in one way or another, at the same time seeking to recover some sort of 'ease' that has missing from her life since the death of her husband. A sweet, quiet book. -Candice
Four Seasons in Rome : on twins, insomnia, and the biggest funeral in the history of the world
Anthony Doerr
914.5632 /Doerr
Travel, Biographies
"The recipient of an American Academy fellowship, Doerr, his wife, and their twin newborns are on their way to Rome for a year. Cultural isolation, the death of John Paul II, struggles to complete a novel, and the tales of first-time parenthood uniquely blend together as Doerr meanders his way through a one-year Roman holiday. Along the way, he meets Romans quick to praise his twins, Romans quick to prejudge an American, and Romans happy to share the secrets of their city with him. Set against this backdrop, Doerr finds it difficult to focus on the novel he plans on writing; instead, like so many other visitors, he falls for the Eternal City. For readers who have been to Rome, Doerr's reflections will leave them longing for a return trip. For those who have not, Doerr's stories of piazzas and pizzas will have them checking travel arrangements. Either way, this memoir is a wonderful combination of a writer's two dominant struggles: cultural identity and family."--
Anthony Doerr (author of All the Light We Cannot See) was a brand-new father of twins when he was granted a sabbatical in Rome. He takes on the Eternal City and the newborns all in one go, and is rewarded for it. A sort of epic love poem to Rome and family, and all there is to be aware of and savor. -Candice
The telling room : a tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and the world's greatest piece of cheese
Michael Paterniti
641.373 /Paterniti
Nonfiction, Travel
In the picturesque village of Guzmán, Spain, in a cave on the edge of town, there is a cramped limestone chamber known as "the telling room." This is where villagers have gathered for centuries to share their stories and secrets--usually accompanied by copious amounts of wine. It was here, in the summer of 2000, that Michael Paterniti found himself listening to a Spanish cheesemaker as he spun an odd and compelling tale about a piece of cheese. Made from an old family recipe, Ambrosio's cheese was reputed to be among the finest in the world, and was said to hold mystical qualities. But then, Ambrosio said, things had gone horribly wrong. Paterniti was hooked. Soon he was fully embroiled, relocating his young family to Guzmán in order to chase the truth about this fairy tale-like place. What he ultimately discovers is nothing like the idyllic fable he first imagined. Instead, he's sucked into the heart of an unfolding mystery, a blood feud that includes accusations of betrayal and theft, death threats, and a murder plot.--From publisher description.
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Added by Casey